Well, in terms of next-gen GPUs, AMD’s CES 2025 presentation tell us that the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT exist… and that is about it. Unfortunately, we did not hear any point out of specs or pricing—no CU counts and no data about VRAM or bus widths.
However, Asus was the primary to announce graphics playing cards that includes these RDNA 4 GPUs within the type of TUF OC and Prime OC variants, and what may have simply slipped underneath the radar is that these can have “a supersized 16GB serving of VRAM”. In different phrases, the primary affirmation of 16 GB of VRAM for the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT has come from Asus, not AMD.
We’ve suspected we would be coping with 16 GB of VRAM since no less than mid-2024 with some RDNA 4 GPU specs and efficiency rumours. But as we stated on the time, we could not belief these figures for sure, and AMD just lately instructed us that “the efficiency information on the market for RDNA 4 is totally inaccurate”.
Nevertheless, the “16 GB of VRAM” a part of earlier rumours appears to have been appropriate. We do not know whether or not that’ll be GDDR6 or GDDR7—although our cash’s on GDDR6—however the 16 GB just about says it’s going to be a 256-bit reminiscence bus.
16 GB of VRAM will put the 9070/9070 XT consistent with the Radeon RX 7800 XT, which is sensible given the 9070, if it weren’t for AMD’s naming scheme change-up, can be an RX 7800 XT. It additionally places it consistent with the newly introduced RTX 5070 Ti and 5080, which is able to each have 16 GB of (GDDR7) VRAM.
It additionally places the RX 9070 and 9070 XT forward of the RTX 4070 Ti, which is the graphics card that has a degree of efficiency it appears like AMD is pitting the brand new RDNA 4 playing cards towards.
Of course, all of that is simply evaluating uncooked VRAM capability, which says little or no exterior the context of reminiscence bandwidth and normal structure. On that entrance, we’re nonetheless simply as starved for information as we have been earlier than, albeit with guarantees of improved ray tracing, AI compute, and so forth.
We do know that these 9000-series graphics playing cards would be the solely ones to assist FSR 4, which guarantees “a dramatic enchancment when it comes to efficiency and high quality”. And if earlier rumours are something to go by (and bear in mind, AMD appears to suggest they don’t seem to be) then we may very well be 45% sooner ray tracing efficiency than the 7900 XTX, too—this might be extra consistent with the RTX 4080 Super.
Whatever the case, AMD is explicitly specializing in mainstream value to efficiency, “aiming for a card that delivers excellent efficiency the place most players are shopping for their playing cards at present.” I’d say a 16 GB RTX 4070 Ti competitor would match properly into that class, supplied the value is true. Let’s hope AMD does not hold us ready too lengthy to share extra.
